Surprise!
by robertwnielsen
Summary: Just when you think you know someone...you learn something new.


_Surprise!_

Disclaimer – Don't own 'em, but I do get playdates whenever I want, as long as I put them back where I found them when I'm finished.

A/N – Thanks to Sirius7 for helping me refine the original idea.

_Summary – _Just when you think you know someone...you learn something new.

"String? You seen Caitlin around here?" Dominic Santini demanded as he and his younger foster son, Stringfellow Hawke, finished some work around the hangar at Santini Air, Dom's business where Hawke and Caitlin O'Shannessy both worked.

"No, Dom," String replied, shaking his head. "Then again, I haven't exactly been _looking _for her, either," Hawke said with a sigh that belied his true feelings. _Besides, I don't think she wants much to do with me these days,_ Hawke thought to himself. Hawke knew his friendship with Caitlin had been on shaky ground practically since the day she came to California looking for him, but especially recently—partially because of stupid comments he had been making, and partially because of...Hawke decided he'd rather not think about the other reason he felt like things weren't going well between him and Caitlin. But recently, there had been two incidents when Caitlin had been in trouble, and Hawke's comments during both the incidents, one with Caitlin standing right in front of him, had been..._impolitic_...to say the least...

"_You know, there's no way on God's Earth...that harming that girl is gonna help your cause!" _Hawke had told Alonzo Del Lomo, leader of a rebel faction, who had joined forces with Harlan Jenkins, and kidnapped Caitlin to use her as bait for Hawke and Airwolf. _Why did I say that? _Hawke asked himself angrily. _She's more than just 'that girl' to me...even if it is only as just a friend._ He remembered promising himself he'd never say something that stupid again. But then, a few months later, he did.

"_Sawyer! That girl __ha__d better be all right!" _Hawke shouted at Ken Sawyer, the man Caitlin had been dating until he kidnapped her, holding her hostage to force Hawke and Dom to transport Sawyer, along with a load of nuclear detonators he'd stolen, aboard Airwolf to a secret airstrip in Mexico. Sawyer had simply glared at String and shouted, "_Hero to the end, eh, Hawke?"_even as he waved the triggering device he was holding—a device that would trigger two of the detonators—one, that Sawyer had slapped onto Airwolf's center console, and the other that was strapped around Caitlin, back aboard the ship where Sawyer had taken her. If Sawyer used that device, Hawke, Dom and Caitlin would be dead within 30 seconds.

_It was just dumb luck that we didn't die,_ Hawke remembered thinking to himself. _If Airwolf's jammer hadn't been able to find the frequency of that detonator, we wouldn't even be having this discussion...and I wouldn't be feeling so bad. _He stopped himself at that admission, then realized, _I do feel bad about saying that, and it's probably why Cait's not talkin' to me. And to be honest, that makes me feel even worse. _Hawke knew he could never fully express how he felt about Caitlin, especially to her, but sometimes he wished he did a little more than the few simple gestures he made, which, in his own opinion, weren't all that much to begin with.

Caitlin knew she shouldn't be driving, since she was so upset, but she had to get away from the hangar for a while. Ever since Michael had told Caitlin about Hawke's reaction to Sawyer, Caitlin had decided that she would try to close herself off to Hawke, the way he seemed to have closed himself off to her. _But I can't,_ Caitlin said to herself angrily. _I can't close myself off to him...because I love him, dammit! _Caitlin knew her feelings for Hawke ran deeper than simple friendship, even if he was unwilling, or unable, to return those feelings. _I'll always love him...even if he doesn't...or can't...love me back. _She thought back over the Jenkins and Sawyer incidents...and two words stuck in her mind.

_'__That girl.__'__ Is that all I am to him? Just... __'__That girl?__'__ Ohh...sometimes he really makes me mad!_ Caitlin said to herself as she drove. She wasn't really sure where she was headed, but Caitlin knew she had to do something..._something_ to get through Hawke's thick skull, and break down the defenses he'd built up around his heart.

_I gotta admit...when he said it with me standin' right there...that _**really **_made me mad. I mean; sure, I had a gun in my back and all that, but I knew Del Lomo wasn't gonna shoot me. __I__f he had, Hawke or Michael would have blown his brains out. But I still wanted to give Hawke a piece of my mind, but things got so crazy, I completely forgot about it until now. _She found herself going back over both incidents in her mind, but still not coming up with a good reason for Hawke to so casually dismiss her..._unless,_ she said to herself, _he was tryin' to keep his feelings for me a secret._ She knew that thought was probably born from her own ego more than anything, but still...there had been times when she thought she just might be right.

_Sometimes I think he feels somethin' for me. __S__omethin' more than just friendship,_ Caitlin said to herself. She remembered when Michael had led her off the ship after the bomb strapped around her was disarmed and Michael untied her. She had run straight over to Dom and Hawke, and kissed both men. _But I have to admit __that __I held the kiss with String a little longer than I did with Dom. Maybe that's 'cause I was trying to show String how I feel about him. How much I love him, __and __that I was okay. __T__hat I hadn't been blown to bits, and that he wouldn't lose me if he decided to love me. And, just for a second, it felt like he was responsive to me. __B__ut that was probably just my imagination, too._

_Of course, I know about that danged curse Hawke thinks he's got...the one that anyone he loves...or might love, will die. _She and Dominic had discussed that at length recently, and while their discussion had helped Caitlin understand why Hawke thought he was cursed, she still didn't necessarily _agree_ with it.

_After all...Hawke loves Dom...and he loves Le Van...and they're both still alive. And as far as I'm concerned, Saint John doesn't count, 'cause we don't know whether he's alive or dead! _Caitlin knew Hawke would most likely never forgive her for so callously dismissing his brother that way, but that was truly how she felt. _Sorry to think that about your brother, Hawke...but that's the way it is. _

Caitlin realized that her driving had brought her to the Lair, the mountain where Airwolf was hidden, which brought another long-standing frustration of Caitlin's to the surface.

_And that's another thing. Why the heck am I always left at the hangar when those two flyboys decide to take off in Airwolf? After all...Dom and Hawke taught me how to fly her. _She still recalled the conversation she and Dom had had when Dom was giving her a check ride.

"_Y'know, you've gotta admit, this isn't your ordinary-powered puddle jumper."_

"_You're doin' fine."_

"_Really?"_

"_Really!"_

"_Great! Well then, when can I fly Airwolf -"_

"_No!"_

"_Come on, Mr. Santini."_

"_Caitlin, you will not crew Airwolf. Not yet."_

"_Then, why am I bein' checked out?"_

"_Because we need a backup, in case something happens to me or String!"_

"_Ohh, I get it. I'm good enough to fly Airwolf if something happens to one of you...but if nothing happens, I'm not good enough!"_

"_Caitlin, you write this down. You _**will not** _become a third pilot in this cockpit, and that's the _**last word** _on this subject!"_

"_What qualifies as...something _**happening **_to you, or String?"_

_And I remember the look Dom gave me...I thought somethin' was gonna __'happen'__ to Dom, right there in that cockpit. He looked scared out of his wits. Not that I _**want **_anything to happen to either of my guys,_ Caitlin said to herself angrily, even as she admitted to herself that String was anything but "her guy." _But it'd be nice if they'd let me fly with them every once in a while, even if it's just to keep my skills up on the engineering console. We gals gotta stick together, after all._

"Dom, I'm worried," Hawke said after scouring the whole hangar. "I can't find Caitlin anyplace."

"I know, String," Dom replied, then added, "and one of the Jeeps is gone, too. You don't think she..."

"I dunno, Dom," Hawke replied as he grabbed the keys to the other Jeep, "but let's find out." He and Dom quickly climbed into the second Jeep and headed off towards the Lair.

Caitlin, meanwhile, had parked her Jeep about a mile away from the Lair and hiked back to the entrance. _Wouldn't want anybody followin' me here,_ she said to herself as she arrived at the entrance to the cave, and disarmed the security system. _At least this way, nobody'll know I'm here,_ she said to herself as she stared at the sleek black helicopter.

_Of course...I could just take her up,_ Caitlin said to herself. _That'd show those two. _Then she realized something. _They'd probably decide they couldn't trust me if I pulled a stunt like that. Even though Hawke already _**has** _trusted me with her...even though I almost got us both killed, and Airwolf destroyed. _She remembered how Hawke had pulled her into the Airwolf fold, after he and Dom were hurt doing a movie stunt, and Michael had been captured by the KGB. _I can't believe what happened...even after what I did. _Caitlin could still recall how terrified she got when she realized that she had accidentally armed a Hellfire missile without first deploying the ADF pods, and almost blown Airwolf, along with herself and Hawke, into a million pieces. _I really goofed that time. I'm surprised Hawke even let me back in after that. _She ran her hand along the sleek black hull until she came to the commander's-side door. Her hand rested on the latch, knowing that all she had to do was pop the seal, enter another code, and then start the engines.

_But I can't do that,_ Caitlin said to herself. _Hawke would probably never speak to me again if I pulled a stunt like that. And Do__m, __well, Dom would probably fire me and ship me back home. But wait __just __a second! _She thought she remembered something, something left over from a mission before she came to California looking for Hawke. _And if I can find it, it might do what I'm wanting just as easily._ She smiled as she began looking through the Lair, pausing when she came to a large chest on the opposite side of the cave, which, fortunately for her, was unlocked.

She opened the chest and found what she had been looking for—An AK-47 left over from a mission before she'd come to California. _Now all I need is a screwdriver,_ she said to herself, finding one a few minutes later. _'Cause if I know Stringfellow Hawke, he's figured out that I'm here, and he and Dom are on their way here, now. Well, if I'm right, I'll just have a little surprise for them. And just maybe it'll get through that thick head of String's,_ she said to herself as she sat down to wait.

"Dom, if she's taken the Lady up for a joyride," Hawke said as he continued driving towards the Lair, "she's done. She's out, off the crew. Period. End of sentence." The scowl on his younger foster son's face worried Dom, who tried to make Hawke see reason.

"String, why would we kick her off the crew for doing something _we_ do all the time?" Dom demanded.

"Because _we _know when _we _take the Lady up, Dom," Hawke retorted, but Dom thought he detected a lessening in String's temper. "Dom, just...don't push it, okay?"

"All I'm saying, String, is that _if_ she's taken the Lady up, it's not like she's _stealing _her...we know Cait would never do something like that. And anyway, we taught her everything she knows about that bird, so give her a break, willya? After all," Dom said, glaring at String, "_you _were the one who first let Cait in our Lady. I wasn't too crazy about the idea, you know."

"_NOW _you tell me," Hawke grumbled. "You sure weren't raising much of an objection when it happened." Dom had to admit, he hadn't raised much of a fuss, _but then again, I didn't have much choice,_ Dom thought.

"But if Cait _hadn't_ been there," Dom admitted, "Michael would probably be dead, and who knows what would have happened with us, and Airwolf. So..."

"So, _what?"_ Hawke demanded.

"So, maybe you'll understand that she means a lot to all of us," Dom replied as they neared the Lair, "and give her a break."

"I will if you will, Dom," Hawke said. He drove on past the entrance to the Lair, to the place where he usually parked his Jeep when he and Dom came out, and sure enough, the second Jeep was there.

"Bingo. She's here," Hawke said as they climbed out and hiked to the entrance of the cave. They walked in, knowing that the security system was disarmed, and found Caitlin sitting in front of Airwolf with an AK-47 on the ground, which she began disassembling as she saw Hawke and Dominic.

"Caitlin. _What_ _in the he__ll_ are you doing?" Hawke demanded, even as he breathed a sigh of relief that both Caitlin and Airwolf were still on the ground, in the Lair.

"Just tryin' to prove a point, Stringfellow Hawke," Caitlin said as she began disassembling the rifle, then continued to talk as she worked, adding, "It's about time you two showed up. A gal gets impatient sitting here with nothing to do." Hawke and Dom exchanged a puzzled look at that statement, then Hawke returned his attention to Caitlin.

"Y'know, Hawke, I came here with half a mind to take Airwolf up for a little spin. I figured maybe that'd prove to you, _once and for all, _that I'm more than just... _'that girl.'" _Hawke winced inwardly as he recalled saying those words not once...but _twice_, in reference to Caitlin, and how he'd promised himself after the Jenkins incident that he wouldn't do it anymore. _Then Sawyer abducted her, and what happened? When he confronted __Dom and me, just before he boarded that B-25,__ I said it again._

"Hawke," Caitlin continued, looking at him as she worked, "one of these days, you're gonna have to understand that there _is_ a brain in my head, and it's a pretty danged good one, too. Okay, maybe I don't have a Master's degree in Physics, like you do, but I'm a pretty darned smart cookie myself, you know!" This time, it was Dom who inwardly winced as he recalled saying nearly the same thing in a toast after he and Caitlin, along with two other families, had been kidnapped by an old enemy from Vietnam. He glanced at String, and knew that Hawke was also remembering that time.

"And," she continued, not taking her eyes off him, "I'm perfectly capable of takin' care of myself, you know." Hawke admitted to himself that yes, he did know that Caitlin was very well-trained in hand-to-hand combat. _Yeah. I felt the evidence of that a few months ago,_ he said to himself, remembering the boot-shaped bruise that had been on his chest for two weeks after Caitlin and Dom rescued him from John Bradford Horn. _She gave me quite the whuppin' that day, at least, I think that's what she called it. She's obviously had more training than just what the police academy gave her. _

"Not to mention," Caitlin went on, "I'm perfectly capable of handlin' myself with this Lady, here." She jerked her head back over her shoulder, at Airwolf. "Okay, maybe I can't fly her in combat like you can, Hawke, but I can still fly her."

Hawke had noticed something. _She hasn't stopped looking at me the entire time she's been talking, and that rifle's almost completely disassembled._ He silently vowed that he would never underestimate Caitlin O'Shannessy again.

A few minutes later, Caitlin laid the last pieces of the Russian-made rifle out in front of her. "Very impressive, Caitlin," Hawke admitted, shaking his head. "Now, my question is, can you put it back together again?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Hawke was mentally kicking himself in the rear, again. _Geez. I just decided I wouldn't ever underestimate her again, and what did I just do? I underestimated her, again. _

Her eyes gleamed as she looked up at him. "_Watch me!" _Hawke quickly realized what a mistake he'd made when Caitlin had cleaned and reassembled the weapon. "How's that grab ya?" she asked as she handed the weapon over, after looking down in the chamber to make sure she wasn't handing over a loaded weapon.

"I have to say that I'm impressed," Hawke admitted, looking over her handiwork. She'd disassembled, cleaned, and re-assembled the weapon quickly enough that even Hawke's drill sergeant in the Army would have been impressed. _Not to mention, _Hawke thought, somewhat awed, _she did it practically blind. I don't think she took her eyes off me the whole time she worked. Well, maybe that'll teach me to keep my big mouth shut, _Hawke thought. He took the weapon outside the cave, loaded and charged it, took the safety off, and carefully squeezed off a few rounds, testing both the automatic and semi-automatic modes of operation. _I've gotta admit, she knows what she's doing. I guess I've learned something else about her,_ Hawke thought as he walked back towards the Lair.

"Where'd you learn to do that, Caitlin?" Hawke asked after he'd unloaded and put the weapon away.

"Back when I was a cop," Caitlin answered him. "We were having problems with -47's bein' smuggled across the border, winding up in the hands of street gangs and whatnot, so everybody on the force was trained how to operate one. I could do the same thing with an M-14 or M-16—they're not all that different from the -47, after all; but then again, I'm betting you know that already," she said, grinning at Hawke.

"Yeah, I do know that," Hawke agreed. "Um, Caitlin, can you excuse Dom and me for a second?"

"Sure. I guess so," Caitlin said, standing up and dusting off her jeans as she leaned against Airwolf. She watched, worriedly, as Hawke and Dominic walked outside the cave. _Great. I hope they're not too mad at me. I gotta admit, I was surprised I could still do it. I haven't taken one of those things apart since I came to California. Guess it's like ridin' a bike, __though. O__nce you learn how, you never forget it. _

"String, you're not mad at her, are you?" Dom asked, worried.

"No, Dom. I'm not mad at her. As a matter of fact," he sighed, and glanced over his shoulder, making sure they were a good, and hopefully safe, distance away from the entrance to the Lair, "as a matter of fact, what I saw today changes some things."Even though he was still trying to wrap his mind around the display he'd just witnessed, String knew he could _never_ underestimate Caitlin O'Shannessy again. _And something else is happening her__e, _he thought, _something that I'll bet will even make Dom happy._

"For me, too, I think," Dom admitted, then asked, "but what 'things' for you?" _I hope they're the 'things' I think they are,_ Dom said to himself. He'd been wanting Hawke and Caitlin to get together practically since the day Caitlin's plane had been hijacked, when she had been flying to Texas for her sister's wedding. _And especially after what she told me when Hawke was kidnapped by Horn,_ Dom recalled.

"_Not 'we,' 'ME!' The instructions say, 'ME!'" __Dom had exclaimed, after hearing Caitlin say, "We gotta get the Lady!"_

"_Dom, don't do that to me. I care about him too, you know. __**Probably more than you know."**_Caitlin had shot back, convincing Dom to take her along on the rescue mission. And ever since that day, Dom had been more convinced than ever that Caitlin loved String. _Now, if we can just convince him that it's okay to love her, too,_ Dom said to himself.

"The kind of 'things' that you've been bugging me about for the past few weeks," Hawke admitted, and Dom bit his lip to keep from crying out with joy. "Dom, don't get excited. After all, I don't know what Caitlin's gonna say when I tell her this, but I think I'm starting to realize that she can take care of herself perfectly well, and that maybe it's time I told her exactly how I feel about her."

"Well, String?" Dom demanded. "Just how _do_ you feel about Cait? _Really?_ 'Cause if you tell her what I think you're gonna tell her and then back away from her, I swear, you and I are gonna go nose-to-nose, pal!"

"Dom," Hawke said, putting his hands up in mock self-defense, "I would never do such a thing. You know that. And as far as how I feel about Caitlin is concerned, I never thought I'd say this again, especially about her, but I love her, Dom. Really _love _her. Y'know what I mean?" Hawke smiled as he felt the burdens of the past few years lifting from his heart, and the deep, abiding love for Caitlin that he'd always known was there taking their place.

"String, that makes me a very happy old man!" Dom said as he wiped a tear from his eye. "And don't worry about Cait," he continued, noting something in Hawke's expression. " 'Cause I think we both know how she's gonna react." They both turned back and walked the short distance back to the Lair.

"I hope so, Dom," Hawke said just before they came back into the cave.

"Okay, guys," Caitlin said nervously as she saw Hawke and Dom approach. "I know. I know I shouldn't have done this. I'm thinkin' you probably thought I took Airwolf up alone, like I said I thought about doing, but I was tryin' to prove a point to you guys. I can handle myself just as well as you two can; and maybe, maybe I was tryin' to prove a point to Hawke, too; that he doesn't have to be afraid to love me the way that I love him, and..." she stopped as she realized what she'd just said and looked up to see Hawke smiling down at her, and she could see his piercing blue eyes, without the aviator shades he always wore.

"Caitlin," Hawke said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, "I—I love you, too." He smiled as he took her lips with his own in a deep, tender, and loving kiss. Dom knowingly turned back towards the Lair entrance, to give his young friends some privacy.

_What did he say?_ Caitlin thought to herself, even as she felt her brain short-circuit. _I've...I've gotta make sure I heard what I think I heard. _When Hawke broke the kiss, after what she thought was not nearly long enough, Caitlin whispered, "Hawke? Did—did I hear you say that—that you _love me?"_

"Yeah, Cait," Hawke replied. "And I'll say it again. Caitlin O'Shannessy, I love you. I love you, so very much." He pulled her close and kissed her again, and this time, Caitlin knew her toes were curling inside her shoes, and she returned his passion fully with her own. _I can't believe it,_ she said to herself in amazement. _Hawke told me he loves me!_

Finally, they separated again, and walked, arm-in-arm, out to meet Dom.

"Well," Dom said, smiling with approval, "I see things are on the right track, here."

"Yeah, Dom," Caitlin agreed, pulling herself closer to Hawke. "I'd say things are definitely on the right track."

"Dom," String said, with a warning tone to his voice, "don't jump to any conclusions, here. We've only just told each other how we feel. We're a long way from doing anything you might be thinking we'd do," he said, but something in Stringfellow's voice told Dom that he and Dom were thinking along very similar lines.

"Who, _me?"_ Dom demanded, but String saw the light of humor in his eyes. "String, I'm _hurt._ You know I only want to see you happy, and you, too, Cait. And from what I see here, you two are gonna make each other _very _happy." Dom finished with a smile.

"I think you're right, Dom," Caitlin said, smiling, then turned to String. "Hawke? What—what on Earth changed your mind about me? About _us?"_

"Well, Cait," Hawke began as they moved toward one of the Jeeps, "seeing how well you worked with that weapon; plus, I know what kind of pilot you are, not to mention your skill in hand-to-hand combat. I guess it finally hit me that you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, and I don't have to worry so much about the curse."

Inside, Caitlin felt her heart sing. "That's what I've been _trying to tell you, _Hawke!" She screamed, but the ear-to-ear grin on her face betrayed her true emotions. "And, String, don't worry. We can make this work. I know we can. Now that we know how we feel about each other; I mean, I know there's no guarantees in life; but, I believe in you. And I believe in _us,"_ she said, snuggling into Hawke's side as Dom came out after re-arming the Lair security system.

"Oh, cut that out, you two! You're gonna give me cavities, with all that sweetness!" Dom shouted playfully, and like Caitlin, the grin he sported betrayed his true feelings. He opened the door of one of the Jeeps and said, "You guys go ahead. I'll meet you back at the hangar." He smiled and honked at them as he drove away.

Hawke opened the passenger-side door of the second Jeep for Cait, then climbed in the driver's side a few seconds later, after Caitlin climbed in. As he drove them back to the hangar, Hawke found his emotions settling in a way they hadn't for a long time. _The curse may not be broken,_ he said to himself as they drove, _but I don't think it's gonna be taking up as much of my time from now on. But I've gotta get something off my chest. _He took a deep breath to clear his mind before he spoke.

"Cait. I want to apologize for 'those' comments," Hawke said, and Caitlin knew exactly which comments he meant by the tone of his voice.

"Hawke," Caitlin replied, "I won't deny that when you called me _that girl, _it hurt. Especially since I don't know why you said it."

Hawke paused a beat before he responded. "Well, Cait," he answered her, "I guess I was trying to keep my feelings out of it. I didn't want either of those men, but especially _Sawyer, _knowing..."

"Knowing _what,_ Hawke?" Caitlin demanded, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth.

"Knowing how much I cared about you, Cait," Hawke replied.

Caitlin hesitated, turning this new information over in her mind, before she finally answered him; and when she did, her heart was singing. _I was right! It wasn't just my ego! _She thought to herself happily, then answered him. "String, it's okay. What happened before, it doesn't matter anymore. I mean; sure, when you said that, it hurt; but I can forgive you, on _one condition."_

_Uh-oh._ Hawke said to himself, not entirely sure he wanted to hear this. "What's the condition, Cait?"

"That you never—_ever—_refer to me as just 'that girl' again," she replied sternly.

Hawke calmly stopped the Jeep, turned to Caitlin, and looked deep into her eyes when he answered, "That's a _promise,_ Cait," and sealed his promise with another kiss.

By the time they arrived back at the hangar, Dom had closed down for the day, since it was nearly closing time anyway and there wasn't much business. Hawke decided to take Caitlin up to the cabin to spend some time with her, just the two of them. As they talked, they both realized the feelings that they had been holding back, and they promised each other that they would never let anything, or anyone, get in the way of those feelings, ever again. After a romantic dinner, Hawke took Caitlin back to the hangar so she could go home, then returned by himself. _And I'm already missing her,_ he said to himself as he climbed into bed that night, and he wondered what she might think about spending a night up at the cabin, with him. _Well, not _yet; he said to himself as sleep took him. _B__ut someday, soon._

**THE END.**


End file.
